The Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) practices approaching the International Space Station on Monday, March 31, 2008.
Europe's third Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-3) is named Edoardo Amaldi.
Backdropped by the blackness of space, the European Space Agency's (ESA) "Jules Verne" Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) begins its relative separation from the International Space Station. The ATV undocked on Sept. 5, 2008 and was placed in a parking orbit for three weeks, before deorbiting on Sept. 29 and burning up in the Earth's atmosphere.
Historical first docking of ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Jules Verne to ISS.
Liftoff of Europe's ATV cargo ship Jules Verne on March 8, 2008.
Europe's Jules Verne cargo ship parks in front of the space station's Zvezda service module March 31, 2008.
A camera outside the International Space Station caught this view of the arriving European cargo ship Jules Verne during its docking on April 3, 2008.
Astronauts work and play in the space station's European cargo ship.
This is one of the first images taken by the DC-8 aircraft which observed the re-entry of Jules Verne ATV over the Pacific Ocean.
Mission concept.
Two NASA chase planes captured the European ATV space cargo ship breaking up in the atmosphere upon successful reentry and completion of the mission.
An artist's illustration of ESA's Jules Verne ATV breaking up during its Sept. 29, 2008 reentry.
Jules Verne ATV is seen backing away from the International Space Station from inside the ATV Control Centre (ATV-CC) in Toulouse, France. Europe's first ATV undocked from the ISS at 23:29 CEST (21:29 UT) on 5 September 2008.
An artist's interpretation of Europe's first Automated Transfer Vehicle Jules Verne as it approaches the International Space Station. ESA/D. Ducros 2007
Europe's new unmanned cargo ships will resupply the space station.
Artist's impression showing an ATV docking with the International Space Station.
ESA's Johannes Kepler ATV, due to launch February 15, 2010, is the heaviest spacecraft that Europe has ever launched, find out whats inside.
This artist's concept, featuring an older space station configuration, depicts ESA's Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle arriving at the ISS.
ATV-2 Johannes Kepler being shipped at night on May 10, 2010.
Named after the German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler, the European Space Agency’s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) will haul freight to the International Space Station. It launches on ESA’s Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana.
The Ariane 5 ES launcher photographed on 14 February 2010 during transfer from the Final Assembly Building (BAF) to the Launch Zone (ZL-3), at the Ariane Launch Complex no. 3 (ELA-3) of the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's space port.
The European Space Agency's ATV-2 Johannes Kepler during transfer from S5C to S5A, 19 November 2010, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou.
ESA’s second Automated Transfer Vehicle, launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou in February 2011, in French Guiana, at 22:50:55 CET by an Ariane 5 to deliver critical supplies and reboost the International Space Station. It is due to dock on Feb. 24.
European Space Agency Astronaut Paolo Nespoli, Flight Engineer aboard the International Space Station, snapped this picture of the Automated Transfer Vehicle 2 launching from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011.
Kepler ATV Docks with ISS in this artist's interpretation.
The European Space Agency's ATV-2 Johannes Kepler docks at the International Space Station on Feb. 24, 2011 after an 8-day flight.
This stunning photo taken by Endeavour shuttle astronaut Greg Chamitoff shows four different spaceships linked together in orbit. At the far left is Endeavour, while Russia's Soyuz capsule "Yuri Gagarin" is perched at a rooftop docking port on the International Space Station. The X-shaped solar arrays of Europe's unmanned ATV-2 Johannes Kepler spacecraft round out the fleet at a far right docking port.
In this spacewalk photo by Endeavour shuttle astronaut Mike Fincke, Russia's Soyuz capsule "Yuri Gagarin" dominates the view on a rooftop docking port at the International Space Station during a May 27, 2011 spacewalk. The station's Russian segment, as well as the European ATV-2 Johannes Kepler cargo ship (identifiable by its X-like solar wings) are also visible. Fincke took the photo during the mission's fourth and last spacewalk.
Illustration of the European ATV-2 reentry and breakup because of the atmospheric forces.
The Reentry Breakup Recorder on the European ATV-2 cargo spacecraft.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has named its next unmanned space cargo ship the Edoardo Amaldi, after the Italian space pioneer known for contributing to advances in experimental physics and the understanding of gravitational waves.
Pressurised module of the ATV Albert Einstein being manufactured in December 2010 in Turin by Thales Alenia.
This cutaway drawing depicts ATV Edoardo Amaldi under the Ariane 5's payload fairing. Image released March 20, 2012.
A final view of Automated Transfer Vehicle Edoardo Amaldi before it is installed on the Ariane rocket. ESA’s third automated space freighter, Edoardo Amaldi, will carry about two tonnes of dry cargo, 285 kg of water and more than three tonnes of propellants to the International Space Station. Image released March 21, 2012.
The protective fairing is lowered over Automated Transfer Vehicle Edoardo Amaldi. With the fairing in place, the spacecraft will be lowered on to the Ariane rocket that will launch it to the International Space Station. ESA's third automated space freighter, Edoardo Amaldi, will carry about two tonnes of dry cargo, 285 kg of water and more than three tonnes of propellants to the International Space Station. Image released March 21, 2012.
The third European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for launch by Arianespace was installed atop its Ariane 5 at the Spaceport today, marking one of the final steps in preparations for a March 9 liftoff on a servicing mission to the International Space Station. Image released Feb. 9, 2012.
